Master and Student
by Zilver A. Hawk
Summary: The first time, Saleh saw Ewan, he knew there was potential in those fiery little eyes of his. What he didn't expect was the friendship that sparked from that meeting.


The first time Saleh saw Ewan, it was an almost miserable sight. He was so small and frail. His clothes hung loosely on his little frame, but his fiery red hair and eyes just lit up his face like a small flame. He didn't look miserable. In fact, he looked quite content with himself. Then the sage reminded himself that even a tiny flame could spark a great fire. All the same, it was strange to see a child with mercenaries.

"You listening, Saleh?" Gerik asked the sage. He was used to seeing him quiet, but he was always attentive. Saleh nodded, but even as the mercenary continued to speak, the sage let his eyes wander to the young boy. Saleh was able to conclude that no one else knew he was in the room. And the little boy wasn't aware that he was being watched. Slowly but surely, the fiery child wandered dangerously close to a desk and slipped a book under his shirt.

The sage tried his hardest not to crack a grin as he scurried off, only to be caught by a rather lovely woman who stood in the doorway.

"Ewan!" she cried. "You're supposed to be in bed!" She snatched the book up from him and shook her head. "Glass of water my foot. Back to bed! Now! This isn't a place for little boys. Chief... I swear. You spoil him. You're always letting him run amuck!"

The look of surprise on Gerik's face almost matched one of actual stupidity. He rubbed his neck and tried to explain himself to the woman, but she brushed him off. "Come on, Ewan... Bed time."

"But Sis..." Ewan tried to scurry off again, but his sister got a firm hold on his wrist and didn't let go.

"I guess that's where all my books have been running off to..." Gerik said absentmindedly as he watched the dancer drag off her little brother. "Sneaky little lad... He could just ask."

"What is a child doing here? "Saleh asked. It was still beyond him why there was a child in a mercenary guild.

Gerik could only shrug. "We picked up Tethys and Ewan a while back. She just wanted to join up, and she's been a big help ever since...if you know what I mean." He grinned and elbowed his friend a bit, trying to urge a smile out of him, but it didn't quite work. "I told him my sage buddy was coming, and you wouldn't believe how excited he was. He's pretty bright for his age. Every time he sees a magician, his eyes just grow twice the size of his head."

"Does he fight?"

Gerik chuckled and shook his head. "No no... Tethys won't have it, but I'm glad in a way. It'd be a shame to lose the little guy. He's got too much life to live."

"Of course," Saleh replied. And that was all they said on the subject.

Of course, Saleh continued to think about the boy on his walk home. It was several miles to Caer Pelyn from the mercenary base, but he enjoyed the walk. It was relatively safe, but he was more than capable of defending himself. Thus he was allowed time to contemplate things. Children had no place on the battlefield, Gerik was right about that much, but then again, even children needed to learn how to defend themselves.

There was something about the boy that was unique. In his experience, children enjoyed causing trouble, but never did they want to cause trouble for a book. It was... Saleh couldn't think of a word for it. Cute? But that sounded out of character for him. It was admirable. That was much better. He couldn't imagine he was that way as a child. He had always tried to stay out of trouble for his grandmother. She had a hard enough task as it was.

He arrived at his home without any trouble from wild animals or unsavory characters. He had only settled down for about half an hour or so when he heard a loud thump on his door. No one ever visited Saleh. It probably had something to do with the fact that he lived out in the middle of nowhere.

He didn't want to keep them waiting though. Without a second thought, he rose from his seat by the fire, taking his Elfire tome with him, hidden underneath the folds of his robes. His hand hovered over his doorknob for a moment until he found the courage to throw the door open.

Fiery red eyes stared back at him. The little boy wasn't smiling, rather, he was trying his hardest to look big and tough. Saleh could tell he was imitating a stance that Gerik had adopted over the years. His shoulders back, head high, and arms relaxed at his side.

"I'm not sure you are supposed to be here," the sage said after a long moment of silence.

"...can you teach me magic?!" the boy squeaked loudly and quickly. His manly stance collapsed completely as he edged closer to the man.

"You followed me home to ask me that?"

Ewan clasped his hands together and promptly invaded the man's intimate space. Admittedly, it was incredibly unnerving. "Please, Mister! Please! I want to learn so badly! I'll work extra, extra hard everyday! And...and... I won't ever hurt anyone I'm not supposed to! And-"

Saleh put a finger to the boy's lips as he knelt down to his level. The boy fell deathly silent for a bit as the sage contemplated his answer. The sensible thing would have been to take him home, but there was something about him. The boy's eyes spoke to him louder than any speech he could give. As he removed his finger, he feared the boy would begin his rant once again, but he didn't. Saleh wondered if he was actually breathing.

"I can teach you," Saleh said. He was about to add in a "but," but Ewan was too quick for him. The fiery little boy wrapped his arms around the sage's neck and squeezed his way into an actual hug.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He would have continued for a few more minutes, but Saleh managed to pry the child from him to look him back in the eye.

"But...you need to return home tomorrow and tell your sister and guild mates what you did, and we'll have to make arrangements for lessons. Understood?"

Ewan could only nod, but the same light was in his eyes. Saleh invited him and left him to sit down at his table while he finished making his tea. There was no doubt in his mind that the mercenaries would be vexed at his disappearance, but it was too late to travel. He could make arrangements for Ewan to stay with him. He had more than enough tomes for the boy to practice with. He had taught pupils before, but none of them had that determination that he had. Call him crazy, but he saw potential in that frail little ghost of a boy.

When he returned with a cup of tea for him, Ewan had fallen sound asleep where he was sitting, his head lulled back ungracefully. Saleh couldn't help but faintly smile at the boy. It was a familiar picture for him. He remembered long hard nights of practice as a child. Grandmother would pick him up and carry him to bed when he was still small enough to be carried.

He set down the tea and picked up the child, cradling him in his arms for a brief moment. It was hard to imagine him in battle with bleeding wounds and bruises, but all the same, children grew up. Someday, he would be a man, and he needed to be prepared. Saleh let the boy rest in his bed for the night, covering him up with a blanket woven by his grandmother's own hand.

Yes. He would make a fine pupil indeed.


End file.
